AGC Houston and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are partnering to promote Fall Protection this week during the 2014 Safety Stand Down. Multiple construction organizations are supporting this industry-wide effort to emphasize and promote jobsite safety throughout the nation.

AGC Houston Chapter Office

In this half-day program, attendees will gain a better understanding of today's complex construction schedule and delay claim analysis process.

Among numerous topics, this class will cover notice deadlines and requirements for filing lien and bond claims; how to obtain project information; and how to avoid common problems when lien and bond claims.

This session will build on the Liens and Bonds speech with an advanced discussion of liens and how they are enforced. The session will also cover a variety of payment topics.  

This course covers the OSHA standards, policies, and procedures in general industry.

This course is designed to provide entry-level construction workers general awareness on recognizing and preventing hazards on a construction site.

Learn to make your environmental management system (EMS) effective so that you can reduce liability, ensure compliance, and improve operating efficiency.

This new class has been developed for supervisors who have drivers in the field.This class will provide excellent information for anyone in a supervisory role to recognize the signs of alcohol and drug abuse. You do not have to be a DOT-regulated carrier/employer to attend this class. 

This course is designed for individuals who respond to releases or potential release for hazardous substances for the purpose of protecting nearby persons, property, or the environment.

The OSHA 30-Hour Construction Safety Course is intended for supervisors or for workers with some safety responsibility. It provides a greater depth and variety of training on an expanded list of topics associated with workplace hazards than the 10-hour course.

On May 19, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division filed a consent judgment in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona to collect $556,000 in overtime back wages and liquidated damages for at least 445 current and former employees of Paul Johnson Drywall.

Total construction spending rose modestly for the third straight month in April as a mix of increases and declines in public and private categories showed the sector’s recovery remains fragile and fragmented, according to an analysis of new Census Bureau data by AGC of America. Association officials said the industry could benefit from new federal investments in infrastructure to offset declining public sector demand.

Construction companies added jobs in 39 states including the District of Columbia during the past 12 months, and in 29 states and Washington, D.C., between March and April, according to an analysis by AGC of America of Labor Department data. Association officials welcomed the mostly positive figures but cautioned that the industry’s recovery remained fragile, with construction employment levels below prior peaks in every state except North Dakota.

A new report released this week is sharply critical of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s estimates of probable costs and benefits associated with the proposed rule on "Waters of the United States," and finds that EPA significantly underestimates the economic impact the rule will have on local communities and businesses.

ATTENTION AGC MEMBERS

Benefit from financial strength and a superior loss control program. This TDI-approved Workers' Compensation Purchasing Group is managed by a board comprised of CompGroup AGC members—General Contractors and Subcontractors from all parts of Texas. Dividends are available to members based upon a program then individual loss ratio.

AGC updates and maps the states, including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, that have state law authorizing CM At-Risk, Design-Build, and P3 projects through the Construction State Law Matrix at www.agc.org/slm. In 2013, the Matrix reported 10 new states with laws allowing CM At-Risk on transportation projects. This brings the total of jurisdictions with at least some authority for CM At-Risk for transportation projects to 35. As of 2014, 39 jurisdictions now have at least some form of P3 authority. New reference maps show legal authority for design-build, CM At-Risk and P3 state authority under the AGC construction law page.

SpawGlass Construction Corp. has been mentoring a group of 30 area high school students involved in the ACE Mentor program. Supported by AGC Houston, ACE Mentor is a non-profit volunteer program working to educate high school students about the various roles within the architecture, construction and engineering industries.

The AGC Houston staff was treated to a personal tour of AnslowBryant Construction, Ltd.'s jobsite at The Treehouse, 963 Bunker Hill on Wednesday, May 28, 2014. 

James Bryant, Partner, Anslow Bryant Construction, Ltd., led the tour along with Project Manager Austin Shaw, explaining the design features, construction methods and unique aspects that will make MetroNational Corporations' new headquarters a  LEED Platinum building. The brownfield redevelopment site now contains a geothermal well system under the parking lot and a cooling tower that will operate in the off hours. The first floor will contain a restaurant, the second floor will house MetroNational's development and design offices and the roof will feature a roof garden and skybridge connection to the Nexen building.

On Monday, June 9, 2014, the AIA Houston Design Committee will host a reception for the new City of Houston Planning Director, Patrick Walsh. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

The 2014 Katy ISD Bond Committee is now in the deliberation phase and will be selecting potential projects to be included in a 2014 bond package. Such projects include new schools, new student activity facilities, campus renovations, and safety and security, among other items. These meetings are open to the public. The Bond Committee will be making a recommendation for a 2014 bond package to the Katy ISD Board of Trustees on July 21. The last day to call an election will be August 26.

According to Toby Mack, president of the Energy Equipment and Infrastructure Alliance, the hiring of construction workers could increase 60 percent from the 2012 level by 2025. He predicts that five percent of those opportunities will occur within the energy-producing regions. However, he warns, "government action restricting shale energy production could undermine the viability of this sector."

Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Pa., lauds the House passage of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act, and notes that the country's ports, locks and dams are essential if commerce is to flow efficiently.